Day Trip to Les Andelys: Ambling Among Mediaeval Ruins
The castle flying the Normandy flag from across the valley
Nestled in a meander of the Seine, Les Andelys refers to two communes once separated by marshes that were later united during the French Revolution — Grand-Andely, a Roman cultural centre, and Petit-Andely, a fishing village born with the construction of Château Gaillard on the hillside. Les Andelys makes for an idyllic day trip less than an hour’s drive from the busier Rouen, especially if you’re approaching Normandy from Paris.
Contents
What to See
Château Gaillard
The concentric ruins of the baileys and keep stand proud above the Seine
High above a sharp bend in the Seine, Château Gaillard perches upon a 100-metre high cliff, overlooking what was once an important transport route controlled by the diocese and guarding the river valley approach to Normandy. Built by Richard the Lionheart (yes, Robin Hood’s friend) in the 12th century, construction was completed in two years and gave birth to the town of Petit-Andely along the Seine banks.
The limestone cliffs flanking the castle offer a stark contrast against the blue of the Seine and the sky
The mediaeval castle consisted of three baileys (inner, middle, outer) whose walls were studded with towers, most of which were cylindrical. It was an early adopter of machicolations (small openings in corbels for dropping stones and burning objects onto attackers, ouch) and concentric fortification, a design later widely developed in Crusader castles across Europe. Its unparalleled design made it one of the most advanced and formidable fortresses of its age, described by Allen Brown as “one of the finest castles in Europe”.
The castle’s design feat was short-lived—it was besieged by the French and changed hands multiple times between the English and French crowns during the Hundred Years’ war. By the end of the 16th century, Henry IV of France ordered it to be demolished despite already being in ruins. What remains of the “strong castle” and baileys are now weathered ruins listed as a monument historique.
The castle’s outer bailey on the left, inner bailey and keep on the right
We parked at the top of the opposite hill (there are tiny cars and people if you look closely!) The picture path is a lot steeper than it looks… we went around the valley instead to avoid slipping on the gravel
Arriving by car from Paris, we parked on the opposite hill and traversed the valley to the keep. The inner bailey is open for admission most months of the year. While there isn’t much left of the structure, the keep offers arguably the best views of the surrounding riverbend and town.
The viewing platform halfway down the hill show how high the castle is atop the cliffs
Stunning views of the Seine as viewed from the castle keep
The castle grounds also offer several walking paths of varying steepness for leisurely strolls for those less keen on ruins. We spent an entire morning admiring the picturesque riverbank view of Les Andelys, flanked by limestone cliffs, as it was pleasantly warm for an autumn day. We were most fortunate to be graced with fine weather, and in hindsight, the gentler slopes would have made for a perfectly breezy picnic spot (even though we were jetlagged and pressed for time).
Les Andelys Town
The town of Petit-Andely as viewed from the castle keep
Les Andelys refers to two communes once separated by marshes that were later united during the French Revolution — Grand-Andely, a Roman cultural centre; and Petit-Andely, a fishing village born with the construction of Château Gaillard on the hillside.
Grand-Andely was founded in the 6th century and was a Roman cultural centre. Points of interest include the chapel of Sainte-Clotilde, the object of pilgrimage owing to a nearby spring with supposedly healing powers, and a statue of the native Nicolas Poussin, a leading painter of the classical French Baroque style.
Colour umbrella installations lining Rue Grande
We only stopped by for lunch (we were starving then) and did not have time to stroll through town, but I imagine that a walk along the riverbank would be the perfect afternoon activity.
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